Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1887-03-31

SAAR 1hAA ~ IN - A-itEEUAnEI-ZU
we're kept. George wasnot q brilIisr2
boy. but quite bright enough for an hor
est lot OF customers. Peleg would ~
havesold outtoa any nehisentirestost
OF q useful article. likely to be Ia ds;;s
demand. But George did not looL
far ahead. There was about : 49,
barrel of the fluid on hand, and III.
bod, aided By Sam, hurriedly beln.jE
George draw it of, gallon BY eaI1ns
and pour it in another barrel. mai I
cash for it, got the barrel into nv
cutter, and in four minutes rolled tSs
barrel out into the snow a mile fror
the village toward the farm. Thsr :
they turned the mare and in five mr.
utes more were at Peleg's door. shors
ing till Peleg came out.
Now, without knowing the t,yo msn
and the ways of up-country men &
general, you can hardly appriciatetbs5
| manner in which Ichabod handled hors
est old Peleg, and brought abont
the bargain then made. He beo.r.
Il say, Peleg, ii you pretend 10 ies,s
a store, you ought TO keep what uedz
pie want. Here I've got to drive 6ts
teen miles this cold afternoon to tha
nearest store there is to get some kess
osene, Jest because you ain'tgot apv
II haven't got any? I've got plenty
How much do you want?" Il want,
four gallons, and George says thers1
isn't a pint left in your store, and Id
rather give $40 than go to RailtownsS
with this rheumatic in my back. re-
time youknew how to keeps storefor ( :
country like this. You make money
enough to accommodate people. and
he poured forth a TRADE Of abuse. Pa.
leg, usually calm, became excited. h
declared over and over again that !
there was plenty of kerosens at tn :
store, and Ichabod denied it and re-.
fused to 60 back with him.
Put up your money On it il Won
dare" said Ichabod. "Fts wcrts
twenty dollars, making me go to Raj.
town such a day."
al don't bet." said Peleg, "as Won
know very well, Ichabod; but if you1l3
go back to the store and / don't fur
nish you with four gallons of kerosens
I'll give you twenty dollars to hirs
any one to go to Raiitown and buy
all that'll buy" Now, Peleg, Idont
want talk. Here's your money, for
the four gallons. That's business.
Call cut Sarah for a witness. tSarsh
Rowland was Peleg's ~sister.) ''See1
here, Sarah, Peleg has sold me four
gallons of kerosene and I've paid for
it, and it's to be delivered to me al
the store right off, and if Peleg DOM
deliver it he's to give me twenty dols2
lars. That's what he and / agree it'd
worth to me to send to Railtown to-
day for it, like enough kill a horsa
anyhow as damage to me; and Pelee
you out With your twenty dollars and
put it in Sammy's hands here to car
ry till We get back to the store.
amt going to have no lawsuit about
it. Business is business,
Peleg Rowland knew Ichabod Bailey
thoroughly, and ought to have sas1
pected something wrong. But he wad
nettled at the slur on his store. whicI1
had been his pride for forty years. 81
put two ten-dollar bills into Sami
hands, pocketed Ichabod's pay foi
the fluid, gothis hat and coat and thS
three drove to the store.
Ichabod and Sam sat in the sleigh
while Peleg went in. There were
dozen of the neishbors. well filled witt
their dinners, who had dropped in io}
the customary chat before the after
noon work. They heard the CONVEX
sation of Peleg and George, and slow
ly, but with final clearness, one and
another came to understand the situj
alton. Hurry up with your kero&
sene," called Ichabod from the ouS
side. Peleg stepped to the door. and
opening it, said quietly; 81 havenV
got any kerosene, IChabod." 81 toLd
you So" was the reply, as the mar
started forward, taking Ichabod am
Sam and the twenty dollars. Therx
was a howl and a rush out to th
road. Let him Alone" begged Pele
"he's an old man. Don't bud
him." The air was full of missiles
Jumps of frozen snow, only one d
which reached the cutter, and strucl
Sammy on the back of the neck.
Ichabod looked at the sun. 'sTwen<
ty dollars in two hours. CorneE3
are business and no mistake; and
James says dishonest business, too.
There is nc space here for the his
tory of all that followed this first ID
PRODUCTION of the morals OF the cit
into up-country trade. 1t was an ID
structive history. The simple peopl
schooied in the principle OF honor and
morality of the fathers, could neva
be persuaded to look with any lenisn
cy on what they call cheating, swind
ling, thievery. az tell you," sal
Eliphalet Strong, a6eacon in the C01z
gregatioual Church, al tell you ii
the first time in my life IN
felt any temptation toward pro
fame language, and l feel now just as
| wanted to say that IchabodBailey1
a damned seoundrel, and any ms
that makes money that way is anotkl
err" Thecommunity, to the last mar
woman and child, agreed with the dee
con. They are far behind the word
that ignorant up-country lot OF peg
pie.
A week after the occurrence lchabo
was driving through the village Just =
school came out. The entire crowd q
boys and girls ''went for him" wit3 !
snowballs. He was buried in o
The mare ran away. Fortunately "a
threw him out in asoft snow-bank az
injured, but she killed hersslf a mi
down the road. Ichabod sued tH
parents of some of the children. The
the parents went to the county toin
and the grand jury were about tol
dict ichabod and Sam for conspirsG
to deiraud Peleg, but Peleg restraint
the enmity, and induced both sides
pause.
And one winter night Ichabod. mo-
treated by all as an Ishmaelin1
against whom was every mans hard
despised and utterly neglected, iouE
that the community. without prene
itation had made q corner in doctor
There was but one, good thorousa
bred Doctor Wilson, not unknown
readers hereof. But when ichsoo 5
came down to his house, in haste az
tremor, saying that Lyddy was 81
denly sick, and, he feared, dying, 10
tor Wilson, in his great fur coat, ne
him at the door and said hehad ny
calls from other sick people than
could attend to all the night. Fordlp
liberia was inthe valley. Then lchan9
implored thedoctor. And the coldfa4
OF the doctor vas set with an expr5
sion which Ichabod understood,
he said whats a doctor worth
you in money, Ichabod? Busino
is business" Now a dollar a visit
the highest ~up-country charge otmeq
cal men, wen on long drives.
lchabod said, "l1I give you five q
lars" and when he saw no change
the face, said "Pli give you Ten
did you eve pay back that TWEEN
you stole from Peleg?" ''Ill give y s
the twenty" walled theoldma "s1
twenty more" he shouted with
Snlh Il